About

Slow Holler Tarot Deck

$57,321

pledged of $55,000 goal

886

backers

A vibrant collection of voices, telling the story of one deck

Slow Holler's tarot deck is collaboratively illustrated and imagined by 29 artists and 3 writers who have Southern ties, identify as queer or both. The deck is a vibrant collection of illustration styles and voices, tied together by a handmade feel and process, fine level of craft, and unified color palette.

When completed, each deck will include 78 cards (2.75" x 4.75"), a book of card descriptions (4.75" x 2.75") and comes wrapped in a black and metallic gold hanky designed by one of the project’s artists. All of our items will be printed in the United States.

Each deck comes wrapped in a black and metallic gold hanky.

Red Fortuna Hanky

3 Poster Portfolio

Sneak peak. One of our Kickstarter rewards is a canvas carrier that'll be made by a craftsperson from Virginia and printed with a design by one of the project's artists. The book in the photo is a prototype and will also include cover art.

Deck Progress & Timeline

We've completed illustrations for 18 cards and have a several more in progress. Meeting our kickstarter goal will secure the funds we need to print the deck, book, and hankies. After successful funding, we’ll resume illustration, writing and graphic production of the cards. We have a production schedule planned of 1.5 months for artists to complete each illustration and for writing / graphic production to progress as the illustrations come in. That means after the Kickstarter is over, it will take about 6 months to complete the remaining illustrations and another 8-12 months to complete writing, graphic production work, and order fulfillment.

Creative Goals

One of this project’s goals is to amplify Southern voices, queer voices, and voices that speak from the intersections of those identities. The collection and collaboration of these perspectives will create a beautiful, relatable, thoughtful, deck that has intention, integrity, and a storytelling quality.

Collaborators

We are a group of artists, storytellers, makers and contributors who are working together to create something that people will interact with in meaningful ways. We come from a variety of backgrounds: tattoo artists, comic and zine artists, printmakers, a few career artists, people who sift time from busy lives to make things, homebodies, roamers.

Folks working on this project have different levels of familiarity with tarot. Some contributors have practiced tarot for a long time or do readings frequently, while other contributors are being introduced to tarot for the first time as a part of this project. We’re all learning things from each other. Including contributors with different levels of experience helps us to imagine a deck that is tied to the meaning from traditional decks but will be more relatable across different times and experiences. We are working together to make a deck that is finely crafted, imaginative, intuitive, and thoughtful.

How will funding be used?

The Kickstarter goal is based on covering costs for printing the deck, book, and hanky in the United States, to cover paying a modest fee to the writers, and to cover taxes Kickstarter fees and shipping. The goal amount also allows us to offer each deck at a reasonably affordable cost.

Any surplus funds raised from the Kickstarter or from sale of surplus decks will go toward seed money for future Slow Holler projects.

So tell all your friends and your friends' friends, and your friends who talk to larger audiences. Share the project on social media. Able to put us in touch with a relevant blog or publication? Please do.

Risks and challenges

Artists will have 1.5 month deadlines on each of their cards and the writers will complete card descriptions as we go along. We will also schedule in the graphic production and layout tasks as the remaining illustrations come in.

That means after the Kickstarter is over, it will take about 6 months to complete the remaining illustrations and another 8-12 months to complete writing, graphic production work, and order fulfillment.

We are working on this as a part of active lives and in addition to the work that meets our basic needs. It will take some time. Creating this deck is important to us. We have a plan and will get it done.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $150 or more
About $150

CANVAS CARRIER + DECK

Handcrafted canvas carrier with with illustrated details by one of our collaborators. Made as a small batch by a craftsperson from Virginia. Deck comes with a book of card descriptions and Slow Holler Hanky.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $275 or more
About $275

CANVAS CARRIER + 3 POSTER PORTFOLIO + DECK

Handcrafted canvas carrier with with illustrated details by one of our collaborators. Made as a small batch by a craftsperson from Virginia. Portfolio of 3 screen printed posters. Deck comes with a book of card descriptions and Slow Holler Hanky.